Where did the phrase "kick the bucket" come from?

Answer

The phrase "kick the bucket," often used to describe the fact that someone has died, has no definite or proven source of origin. The most probable explanation of its origin comes from the use of the word "bucket," which is linked to an Old French word, "buquet," a term used to describe a trebuchet, yoke or beam from which an animal was hung for slaughter. Oftentimes, before and during the slaughtering process, the animal would struggle to free itself, often kicking the yoke or beam, thus "kicking the bucket."

Another theory, which holds less merit, is the idea that when a person tried to kill himself by hanging, he would have climbed up on a bucket to reach the noose and then kick the bucket away once the noose was secured around his neck.